"We found a transient increased risk of [heart attack] in the initial 28 days of exposure to antidepressant drugs, which did not persist after this period," write the researchers. "This suggests that people now taking antidepressants do not need to stop taking these drugs, as no increased risk is conferred by prolonged exposure."

Heart attack risk wasn't found to be linked to any particular type of antidepressants.

The lack of an association between the type of antidepressants suggest that these associations are more likely due to factors relating to underlying depression and health services utilization than to specific adverse drug effects, they write.

People being treated for depression are advised to consult their doctors with any questions or concerns about their medications.

Depression, Heart Disease Are Widespread

Every year, heart attacks strike more than a million people in the U.S., says the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. About 460,000 of those cases are fatal.

Heart attacks are the most visible sign of heart disease, a leading cause of death for men and women in America.

Depression is also very common in America. Nearly 19 million U.S. adults per year are depressed, says the National Institute of Mental Health.

It's crucial to get emergency help whenever heart attack symptoms surface and to take proactive steps to curb heart disease. Depression also needs treatment. Counseling, prescription drugs, and lifestyle changes can all help ease depression's burden.

Studies have found that heart disease and depression sometimes go hand in hand, but the precise explanation isn't clear.

With so many depressed people -- and such a high rate of heart disease -- the British study offers a closer look at heart attacks and antidepressants.